An Italian restaurant that catches its own fish.
"Peperosso" serves regional dishes from all over Italy. The exquisite dishes served as part of the set menu never fail to captivate even the most discerning food connoisseurs. Their deep commitment to quality ingredients extends far beyond the kitchen—they even grow their own vegetables at the “Peperosso Farm” in Chiba. Their passion for every dish begins with sourcing the ingredients themselves.
This is also true of “Pepe Rosso’s” signature fish dishes. Rather than sourcing fish from the market, they go fishing at least once a week and use the seasonal fish they catch themselves. If they don’t catch anything, they head straight to another body of water and keep fishing until they do—that’s how dedicated they are.
It was an early morning in late August, reminding us of the pleasant feel of autumn air. The staff at “Pepe Rosso” visited Odawara in Kanagawa Prefecture. Looking at the recent catch reports for the fishing boat “Inkyo-maru,” which would be our vessel for this trip, we saw that barracuda and red seabass were biting well, and bonito were reportedly active too. Filled with anticipation, we boarded the boat.
Kazumasa Imai (center right)
Executive Chef at PepeRosso
He became head chef in 2015 at the long-established restaurant “Pepelosso,” which was founded in 1986. “I come to Sagami Bay often. Today, I’m hoping for a massive catch of bonito. Since this is a charter boat, I want to try a variety of techniques—like jigging and sabiki fishing—and make the most of the experience.”
Shuhei Mihara (right)
PepeRosso Staff
He handles everything from cooking to serving customers. Since starting work at “Pepe Rosso,” he’s become passionate about fishing. “I once caught a skipjack tuna in Sagami Bay, and I was blown away by how delicious it was. Today, I’d like to catch a variety of fish and use them to create all kinds of dishes.”
Aya Hongo (center left)
PepeRosso Staff
In charge of cooking. He had zero fishing experience, but now he’s even catching yellowtail and tuna. “It’s been a while since I’ve been to Sagami Bay. I’ve come here before to fish for bonito. I’ll be targeting barracuda and red seabream, but I’d be happy if I caught a bonito too.”
Genta Akutsu (left)
PepeRosso Staff
As a server, he recommends wines based on his personal preferences. Although he’s enjoyed stream fishing since childhood, he became seriously hooked on fishing while working at “Pepe Rosso.” “Odawara is famous for its barracuda. I want to start by catching some reliable catches, and then just enjoy fishing without limiting myself to any particular species.”
